Crimson
by bejuizb
Summary: Pain. Every breathing moment was nothing but pain. Maybe it would be better to die than face it again. AU, Abuse, Graphic violence, future fluff (minor).
1. Chapter 1

She didn't know her name.

The woman looked up at the swirling gases outside her observation window, her only respite from her current nightmare. Her face burned as the corner of her mouth twitched. Nightmare was inadequate to explain her circumstance. So was hell.

She remembered waking up a while ago...specifics were out of the question. It could have been days, months, years ago. All she knew, felt, breathed, was pain.

Pure, unadulterated _pain_.

Every facet of her being was pushed to the limits, and the agony never stopped. Her eyes felt like lead. They wanted her to sleep. But she couldn't sleep. She _needed_ to be awake. They would be here soon.

_To hurt me._

She felt the familiar thrum of her Warframe around her. To others, it would have been nonexistant. But to a Tenno, a Warframe's mild vibration indicated that it was working. Her identity was in her suit, and because of those that held her now, that identity was marred, destroyed. Her past was lost to the annals of her shrouded past, never to be recovered.

The Warframe was her only link to her sanity. Without it, she would have passed on long ago.

She slowly tilted her head down, feeling her muscles scream in agony from just a simple task. She saw the metal floor, nearly a foot below where her feet hung. The restraints around her hands and feet were strong as always. She had given up on trying to free herself.

She would never leave this place, they told her. At least, not in one piece.

Her mind was in a haze, separated from her body. Her eyes trailed across the tubes and perforations that littered her Warframe. Just like her past, she didn't remember how it was before they got their hands on her. All she knew was that she wore nothing but a violated, despicable product of their experiments.

Her armour was mostly black, with segments of gray to serve as highlights. Crimson tubes ran through her torso, filling perforations that showed the heavy weave of her Warframe underneath. Scuff marks and scratches were everywhere, not a single surface free from the vile hands of her captors.

She felt a small tingle of anger, but it soon vanished into nothingness. She felt nothing anymore. Just pain.

Too much pain.

An unintentional whimper escaped her parched throat as she saw the door to her prison open with a hiss. The two pieces of metal slid into the wall smoothly, followed by the clatter of shoes on steel.

_They're coming..._

_No!_

Her body involuntarily struggled against her restraints as five people walked into the room. Four men and one woman. As per usual. The men wore blue environmental suits, their rubbery material glinting faintly from the swirling gases outside. The woman wore a red environmental suit, which hugged her curves and gave her the appearance of a huntress.

Emotionless faces looked at her, and she averted her gaze to the ground. She remembered glaring at them defiantly when they first spoke to her, but she also remembered how they had branded her. The wound on her arm had scabbed and festered, and she could do nothing to scratch the wound. Above all else, she remembered her fingers being broken. One each time she swore at them or shouted. She learnt her lesson after they had broken her seventh finger.

_Don't look at them unless they tell you to._

"She's being obedient," she heard the woman mutter, her voice failing to hide her malice for being here.

"Yes, she is," a man said. She recognized his voice. He was the leader of the "operation" on her. He was the worst of the lot, only concerned with results. She hated him the most.

"Our...investment continues to provide us with knowledge, gentlemen," the leader continued, clearly talking to the people accompanying him. Her neck ached from the awkward position.

"Today, we must test our serum on it. Our purpose: to understand the effects of the serum on its psyche. Physical discomfort is to be expected, and its neural impact on the test subject will also be recorded."

_It._

They referred to her as an "it". Like scum. Just an object. Meaningless. Worthless.

She heard one of them move up to her. Shiny boots entered her field of view, and she saw a reflection of herself on a particularly smooth section.

Dark eyes peered back at her, from sunken sockets. Full eyebrows crowned her dead orbs, and between them was a pointed nose, small for an ordinary person, but it framed her's perfectly. It was bent near the bridge, showing that it had been broken before. Her lips were chapped, and her skin was a ghostly gray . Her face was framed by a mat of brown hair, which hung limply. Her face was littered with scars, the smooth skin giving her face a weathered appearance. Seeing the sight almost brought tears to her eyes.

_I was once pretty. I remember. But now..._

She was more dead than living, and she looked like it. No wonder they referred to her as an "it".

"Look. Up."

She felt her neck sigh in relief as she raised her head autonomously to meet the gaze of the woman. Fiery orbs glared back at her, the look of disgust only augmented by her venomous voice.

"I said. Look. Up."

_What do you mean...?_

She grunted in agony as a hand pushed her head right up, forcing her to look up at the ceiling. Her neck was exposed to the woman, and she felt panic settle in. Her arms were renewed with energy and she struggled futilely against her restraints. She tried to stop her body, but it wouldn't listen.

_Stop! Please! Otherwise they will-_

A scream of agony tore through the room as the woman placed a small device by her temple. The electricity tore through her body, setting all her muscles on fire. She couldn't control her scream, and soon her lungs ran out of air. Spots of light were all she could see.

_I can't breathe..._

_I'm going to die..._

Just as soon as the pain started, it stopped. She was left faint and breathing heavily, gulping in huge quantities of air to feed her starved lungs. Her lower lip had split during the process, and she tasted the copper of blood dribble down her throat. Her head leaned against the wall that restrained her, still baring her neck to the woman.

"Stop struggling...SCUM!" the woman shouted as she felt a burning sensation on her cheek.

_She slapped me_, her mind told her.

"Now, now," she heard the voice of the leader, from somewhere to her left. "We don't want to cause our subject any more...distress than required do we?"

She saw as the woman gritted her teeth. "No we don't Alad."

"Good. Gentlemen, are we ready? Yes? Good. Karli, you may begin the experiment."

The woman nodded and raised a syringe to the Valkyr's throat. She whimpered again, and then gritted her teeth in preparation as she felt the pinprick of metal press against a vein on her throat. She groaned as the needle pierced her marred skin, injecting the unknown contents of the serum into her circulatory system. She relaxed as the injection was removed from her throat, and was surprised when she didn't feel anything.

"Vitals are low, but steady," she heard one of the men say.

"That will change soon," chuckled the man called Alad. She hated the man even more now. "We just need to let the serum circulate to her entire body."

Her body suddenly burned everywhere. Her muscles clenched, and she bit down on her tongue in shock. Mouth full of blood, she let loose a scream of agony as the fire burned through her body. This was too much, her body was going to explode. She felt her body disconnect from her mind, the pain nothing but a never ending nightmare. She didn't know how long she was in agony for. Her mouth was still open, but no sound came. Sweat poured down her face, and blood from her ruined tongue flowed down her throat, almost choking her.

"Results are looking good!" she heard a disembodied voice from somewhere around her. Everything was a blur of pain and darkness.

"Excellent. I believe our work here is done for today," said Alad.

"So I assume we're allowed to leave this filth be?" said the woman.

Alad laughed again, and she felt herself fading away from the agony.

"Yes, Karli. You may leave. I will send in a medical team to treat her wounds. Although, Tenno have substantial amounts of regenerative abilities due to their symbiosis with their Warframes."

"Whatever you say, Alad. I'm off."

She heard footsteps move away from her, vanishing into the haze of noise. A shadow moved into her line of sight, and she peered into evil eyes.

"I assume the serum is causing a lot of distress for you?" his acidic voice whispered to her. "That is...optimal."

He laughed again, as her pain started to pulse, nearly blinding her from the overwhelming agony.

"Tomorrow, we will try something new. I'm very close to finishing my greatest project, you see. All thanks to you and a few other of your kind. Don't worry, the serum should lose strength in a few hours. I'll send in a team to fix your tongue. We can't have you dying from your own blood now, can we?"

She vaguely saw him disappear into the haze, and her mind couldn't bear the agony anymore.

_They're coming back..._

_I will die tomorrow..._

She fainted, and her head hung limply downwards, a steady trickle of blood splattering against the floor beneath her.

_I will die tomorrow..._

**-]|[-**


	2. Chapter 2

"You wished to see me, sir?" asked the man, his posture indicative of nervousness. After all, it wasn't normal for an ordinary research assistant to be asked to meet the head of the entire Corpus research division, a member who held a position in the Board. He felt beads of sweat trickled down the back of his neck. Alad had an aura of insanity around him._ No_, he corrected himself as his boss appraised him with twinkling eyes and a sickening grin. _Its the aura of apathy._ The man cared for nothing but results and profit. That never went well with him.

After all, Keef Brickt wasn't part of the research team willingly. His family was forcefully "evicted" by the Corpus, following their inability to pay the mandatory housing fee in the Corpus controlled Deimos colony. He was resigned to work here and pay off the debts that his family owed, or risk never seeing them again as they were "relocated".

He was startled out of his reverie as a menacing laugh echoed through the room. The scene was dramatic: the swirling gases outside that permeated Jupiter's atmosphere, threw the insides of the room in shadow, giving Alad V a silhouette that suited his laugh perfectly.

"Are you afraid?" the man asked, his voice sowing the seeds of hatred even further into Keef's mind.

"No, sir. I'm not," the blue eyed man replied, straining to keep the nervousness out of his tone. _That bastard's like a bore. Give him one weakness, and he'll go right through me._

"Good to know. Now, Mr. Keef," drawled Alad, "I summoned you here with regards to our...precious test subject. I assume you have a report ready for me?"

The subordinate nodded. "Yes, I do. I have sent you a written version of the report already, but if you'd like me to elaborate vocally, I can do that as well."

"Please do."

After a deep breath, Keef started. "From our testing procedures, we have gained substantial information regarding the anatomy of the Tenno, but we still remain in the dark about how to replicate their biology. This is because of a vast number of factors. Initially, from the stimulus tests, we learned that the Tenno respond to pain just as ordinary humans do, signifying a similar nervous system structure. Our attempts at making the Ascaris probe work as intended failed, mostly due to biological failsafes present in a few of them. She is one of those few who can resist the Ascaris. A minor setback, fortunately. From further stimulus tests, we have noticed a steadily declining amount of delta waves when the subject is asleep, as well as an immediate switch of brain wave frequency during tests."

Alad raised a gloved hand to stop him there. "Steadily declining? Are you suggesting that we are losing our test subject."

Gritting his teeth, Keef nodded. _It's obvious, you dumb bastard. You're killing that woman. _"Yes, sir."

"Very well. I'll make arrangements for us to acquire a few more test subjects, but for the moment, let us try to keep that thing alive. The Zanuka project is almost at fruition after all."

"We will try our best, sir."

Yet another sick smile. "I'm sure you will. Continue."

"Her mind shuts itself down during our tests. Pain is still an overwhelming stimulus, but their neural chemistry autonomously increases theta wave generation and that allows them to...er...withdraw into themselves. That could explain their extreme resilience to stimulus during combat. With regards to physical effects of the testing, scar tissue generation is substantially quicker, but the dermis itself does not heal fast. Combat implications of this phenomenon mean a lesser chance for them to bleed out. Our cybernetic muscle implants and procedures show positive results. Muscle fibres are denser and repair times are far above average. Further testing is needed, but for now, that is all we have learned."

It took Alad a few moments to respond, during which his gaze bored into Keef, making the man nervously clutch his fingers behind his back.

"When can we begin testing out our new components on the test subjects?"

"The energy conduits, sir?"

Alad nodded. "Yes. They are essential to the Zanuka prototype and I would like to include them into the prototype's systems as soon as possible."

Keef bit his tongue, but decided to risk it nonetheless. "Sir, if I may?"

The sallow faced executive quirked an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"The Zanuka project is a massive endeavour, the first of its kind. I merely wish to know, if possible, why the stages are being rushed ahead of schedule."

Alad's face tightened noticeably. "Our Grineer..._associates_, have made demands for expansion into the Jupiter network. Something with regards to Tenno decimating several of their assembly lines and outposts on Phobos. Speaking of the Tenno, I am of the belief that the Lotus had moles in our organization. Which brings forth the implication that we could be faced with several Tenno attempting to...retrieve our test subject. Now you see, Mr. Keef, what with our new and less desirable neighbours and the Betrayer scum that are inevitably on our way, I wish for the prototype to be ready by then."

"Understood, sir. But I must advise against pushing the test subject any further. She requires more recovery time between tests, or we risk compromising her sanity and physical health."

Alad stood up, the simple action terrifying Keef like no other. "That is unacceptable. We will proceed as planned."

"But sir-"

"Mr. Keef," Alad hissed. "Must I remind you of your position in this research project, or rather, the people you call family?"

_You f*cking bastard! _"No sir. I'm sorry."

"I expect you to ensure that our test subject stays alive. Regardless of the costs. Oh, and please refrain from calling it a she. Having an attachment for scum like that is unbecoming of you."

"Very well sir. I shall do my best."

The man sat down, his mind clearly somewhere else already. "I'm sure you will. Dismissed."

Keef silently walked out of the room, exhaling loudly as the lighting of the corridor accompanied him away from that room. The hallways were quiet, the only sounds accompanying him were the faint hiss of the air filtration systems and machinery far below him, near the depths of the facility. He checked the time once he reached his assigned terminal.

_I need to go and tend to her_, he thought, immediately picking up a few supplies scattered around his desk and throwing them onto a cart. The Tenno in their custody was quite human, and humans needed cleaning and solid food quite often. Being the lowest ranking researcher in the facility, Keef was assigned to be responsible of that task, and he hated it.

Not because he considered her a lowlife, but rather because he felt powerless to try and help her out of this damned facility. He couldn't even nurse the idea of setting her free for several reasons. One, neither of them would be powerful enough to escape the facility, what with the several dozen guards and proxies that prowled the corridors, and two, his family was under the control of Alad. One word from either his or Karli's mouth meant death for them. That alone made it so that the Ascaris wasn't required for Keef's loyalty. His thoughts slowly changed towards the female Tenno they were experimenting on. Despite the several inhumane things done to her, she had survived them, barely so, and that gave him some hope. _If she can hold out a bit longer, her kind might be able to take her away from this place._

Trundling along with the cart, he examined the syringe with a yellow fluid. _That should help her bear the trauma of the next test. Its about the only thing I can do now._


	3. Chapter 3

The dreaded hiss of the now opening door forced her tired eyelids to jerk open. Her body shook involuntarily as she saw a man walk in, pushing a tray with medical supplies in front of him. He was clad in the standard blue environmental suit used by her captors, the same ones she had seen before succumbing to the mind numbing pain. She knew that they would be back, and yet she couldn't calm herself.

_No...no...no! Not again!_

Unlike the other times, no one else accompanied the man, and even more strangely, he did not have his boxy helmet on. She was faced with a pale and slightly pudgy face. He shared the same sallow appearance as Alad, but he had different markings on his face. As the man stood silently in front of her, she realized something else. _His eyes..._

They were a piercing blue...and a dark brown. Each eye was a different colour, and they enraptured her bleary mind. For the first time since she had been captured, she felt the tendrils of curiosity coil around her drug-numbed psyche.

"You...safe," he said softly, his words broken and unsure. He didn't speak her language properly, unlike Karli and Alad V. His voice was deep, but not overly so. The swirling gases outside the base cleared enough for the light of the sun to hit his features, forcing him to squint at her momentarily. Her shaking had increased, to the point where the restraints rattled against the metal plate she was secured against.

_Lies! All lies! I can't be safe. I CAN'T!_

She tried turning her head away from his outreached hand, trying to keep his hands away from her. They wouldn't hurt her that way. They couldn't.

"I not hurt you," the man said softly again, reaching for the restraint that prevented her from talking. She flinched, expecting a jolt of pain from his touch. They always shocked her neck, and this man was no different to her. Surprisingly, she felt her jaw slacken as the metallic restraints were loosened and ultimately removed.

"Feel better now," the man mumbled, turning around and rummaging through the tools that he'd brought with him. " I will help." Her jaw ached from disuse, and she refused to open them even though she was now able to. She stared blankly at the floor, her mind struggling to consider all the new stimuli.

_Help? Why would he help me? No. He's lying to me. They all want to hurt me!_

She let loose a panicked whimper as she felt him walk up to her, a syringe held loosely in his hand. The man must have been able to read her body language. "No, no, no. Not test serum." He waved his hands about, gesticulating as he talked in his broken way. "Pain relief. Help for..um...after tests."

A clacking sound filled her ears; it took a few moments for her to realize that it was she who was causing the sound. Her body was violently shaking from fear, to the point where her restraints were wobbling with her. The man in front of her let loose a sigh.

"Okay. Okay. No syringe," he mumbled, slowly and clearly putting down the object of her fears. "Scary, yes?"

She merely looked at him, trying to comprehend his motives.

"Mhm. Oh. My...er...name. Yes, my name. Keef!" he exclaimed, flashing her a friendly smile. The sudden shift in his mood caught her by surprise. "Keef Brickt!"

He looked at her closely, after a moment of silence. "You...talk problem?"

Her head shook on its own accord. "No? Good. Talk?"

She mumbled something, but it was too garbled for him to understand.

"Eh?"

"_W...who...who are you?"_

"Keef. Keef Brickt. I am your...um...yatepaket. Ykit! I am...wait." The man was clearly struggling to find the right word; his eyebrows were furrowed and his expression one of a very focused person. She quite easily became drowsy as he kept thinking, her drug addled mind struggling to stay awake without any new stimulus.

"Yey! Um...yes!" shouted Keef, awakening her with a jerk. "Caretaker. I am caretaker," he said, a big grin plastered on his face.

_Why is he so cheerful?_

"I...use different medicine. No syringe," he added. A lock of shaggy hair blocked her view as he turned around to fiddle with something in the cart. He turned around with a vial of amber fluid, and directed it towards her mouth.

"Open," he mumbled.

He gesticulated with his free hand, slowly opening and closing his mouth. Theatrics aside, she was still very confused with his behaviour. He opened and closed his mouth again, clearly expecting her to do the same.

As soon as she complied, he gently poured the amber fluid into her mouth. Some of it dribbled down her front as she closed her mouth and swallowed it. It tasted horrible, whatever it was, and she was still trying to figure out why she listened to him?

_He could have poisoned me. Made it easier to kill me. _

He pulled out a small cloth from the myriad of pockets that dotted his environmental suit and dabbed at the 'medicine' that dribbled down her chin. Once satisfied that she was clean enough, her pocketed it with a flourish.

"Good!" he exclaimed, with a smile.

"What did you give me?" she snarled, her voice pathetically weak to carry the full force of her anger.

"Medicine," he mumbled, clearly alarmed at her sudden change in demeanour. "For less...um...less ouch?" The last segment of his statement was accompanied by a gesture that indicated pain. "It helps for after tests also."

She glared at him, angry that he'd broken through her defenses. What was it that made her listen to him? He could have easily killed her. She didn't want to die. When her expression didn't falter for another silent minute, he chuckled shakily and turned around to his cart.

"I no bad. I...help," he said with a low voice, and it carried a doubtless aura of honesty. "These people. No good. Bad. Very bad. I help. No escape...but I try."

He was being honest, she thought, as she watched him pack his equipment back into his cart. "My medicine...less hurt for after tests. Easy to sleep."

He looked back at her and smile wanly, before waving and pushing the cart out of the room. As the door closed behind her, she hung her head back down, watching the reflection of the gases create swirling lines on the metallic floor of the room.

_I trust him_, she thought absently. _That's why I listened to him._

Just like he'd said, she fell asleep after a short while. And for the first time, she didn't dream about pain, but about escaping this nightmare.

She might die, but she wouldn't die without a fight. That was for sure.

**-]|[-**

**A/N: Hey everyone. I just wanted to thank you all for the follows and favourites. Really means a lot to me. Special thanks go to S33KR-HUN for his motivating review. I'd really appreciate more interaction with my readers, so please, don't feel shy and give me some feedback, so that I can improve the stories even more. **

**With regards to my updates to the story, I'll try my best to keep them at a steady two week interval, but its going to be tough, what with me starting off University and being a part of other clubs. I really plan to finish this story, and if I don't update anything for a while, I humbly apologize. I'll try my best to keep the momentum going.**

**This story now also has a beta reader: Admiral Rake Donsom. He's been really helpful with his insights into the story, and I expect him to play a great role in maintaining the polish of this story. **

**Now I realize that this chapter was on the short end, quite probably like most of my other chapters, but the next chapter will probably be quite a bit longer than this one. **

**Till then,**

**bejuizb**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Tipping the First Domino**

"I assume that everything is under control?" demanded an old man, his holographic bust flickering in the dim light of the room.

"Yes," said Karli simply, crossing her arms and looking at the man with an expression of barely concealed distaste. She was currently tasked with 'entertaining' the wizened old businessmen that were part of the Board. It failed to make sense to her why anyone with the right mind would choose to be led by inept and greedy oafs, with the sole intent of acquiring profits and pilfering the coffers of others. Her pride was already being put to the test by the least irritable member of the board, and she was working underneath that man. As her mind whirled through several thoughts at once, her silence brought forth the ire of yet another Board member.

"Does your tongue require loosening?" bellowed a corupulent fellow, his beady little eyes glaring daggers at her. She couldn't help but smirk.

"No."

The man looked like he was going to explode, but he was interrupted by a wheezy chuckle.

"Now now gentlemen. Let us go easy on my _subordinate_ here. She is merely following _my_ orders," said Alad V, looking at her with a smug expression. He thinks he owns me, grimaced Karli, forcing her facial expression to hide her true feelings. The man's emphasis on words drove her mad sometimes, and this was one of those times.

"And what orders are those Alad?" asked the first Board member. Alad merely made a gesture of pursing his lips.

"Answer with as little detail as possible. You see, gentlemen, I believe she does not have the capacity to handle matters such as this effectively. After all," he looked at her again, the smug expression evolving into a predatory grin, "she is but a researcher here."

"Research Division Leader," shot Karli, finally losing her temper.

"I'm sorry?"

"My role in this facility. I lead the department. I'm fully qualified to answer any questions posed to me."

Alad merely laughed again, clasping his hands in front of his chest. "You see, Miss Karli, I believe you are wrong there. You may very well lead the research department, but you do not possess the aptitude to deal with delicate matters pertaining to the Board."

"But-" she started, her voice quavering in anger.

"Now, now. I don't mean to hurt your pride. Not everyone is capable of tactfully handling matters above their own capacity. You need not worry now. I will deal with these gentlemen. Now please, show yourself out."

Hands balled into fists, she nodded. "Very well. Enjoy your day, members of the Board," she said to the four glaring holograms looking down at her. The door closed with a hiss, followed by an angered snarl.

Karli was seething by now. _Sexist, insecure...FAILURES! _Aware of the security cameras that dotted nearly every inch of the facility, she gritted her teeth and maintained her composure, her feet automatically leading her towards her office.

The constant clack of her boots did little to set her mind at ease. Even though her current circumstances were temporary, she couldn't help but feel her resentment towards her superiors. She was by far a lot more competent than them, but they had the power of the opposite sex, and never-ending supplies of resources.

When she snapped out of her reverie, she found herself seated in her office, watching the sky darken as night settled in. The swirling clouds of gas outside the observation windows were turning into brilliant shades of blues and violets, and with the herald of darkness came the beep of her comms terminal. Thumbing the button gently, she cleared her throat.

"Doctor Karli speaking."

"This is Jek, ma'am. Do you have a moment?"

She closed her eyes and massaged her temples. Jek Lukt. A subordinate of hers who had a almost irritable adoration of her. A true savant of genetic modification, he seemed to be the only person on the facility who gave her the respect she deserved. She smiled to herself as he waited patiently. He was a useful lackey.

"Yes, I'm available."

A pause. "I'm on my way ma'am. Thank you."

She clasped her hands, and pored over the latest test results on the Tenno. Her biology was similar to that of a human's, but there seemed to be a few genetic markers that enabled her species to manipulate the very energy that permeated their beings. The source of the modification seemed to be the pocket dimension her ancestors called the Void. She would be really pleased to conduct tests on other subjects, and their reactions to Void energy exposure. After all, the core components were already available. Months ago, she had managed to secure several samples of the Technocyte virus. Multiple strains were stored hermetically at one of her research bases, and with the data she acquired from the Tenno recently, she was fairly certain that her plan could come to fruition soon enough.

_I will make this system a better place to live_, she thought to herself. _I will rid this place of filth and make it a utopia once again._

The door to her room opened with a hiss, and in walked Jek, dressed as per usual in his environmental suit. Unlike her other subordinates, Jek preferred to dress in extreme weather gear, even indoors. She vaguely remembered him mentioning his fear of being contaminated. She couldn't blame the thin-faced man. People who were "contaminated" by an accidental broken container of Technocyte usually lost all cognition within a day of exposure, and they ceased to be themselves within two. The man worked with Technocyte day in and day out, and she assumed that the paranoia came with the risks associated with his particular line of work.

"You wished to see me, Jek?"

He nodded calmly. "Yes. I just wanted to get some clarification regarding the matter of Alad V."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "What clarification?"

He hesitated. "I just wanted to know what exactly entails the plan dealing with him."

She smiled acidly. "You want to know what's going to happen to you because of my plan." _Self-preservation is so hard to conceal_, she thought.

"Um. Yes."

"You need not worry," she smiled again, the acidic gesture replaced by one of knowing. "You will be travelling with me. After all," she added, "I need my lead geneticist to stick around to make my goals reach fruition."

Relief flooded his features. "Thank you ma'am. I really appreciate the gesture."

She nodded. "You're welcome Jek. We will be leaving at any time within this week. I'd suggest collecting as much data as possible from our test subject."

"We won't be taking her with us?" he asked, crossing his arms and scratching at the scruffy beard that adorned his features. Karli felt mildly relieved for addressing the Tenno by her sex; calling someone like an object might have been something that Alad V or any of the Corpus Board might enjoy, but it felt unbecoming of her to do the same. And yet, with her current circumstances, she was forced to play along with the scum that she worked with.

"She won't be coming with us. Her mental condition is already fragile enough. The human mind might be a strong organ, but the amount of trauma she has endured wouldn't reap any more benefits than it already has."

"Yes, it is a shame."

"A shame, but a necessary deed," she continued. "Remember Jek. For the benefit of the system, we need to commit these deeds. The constant cycle must end. We sacrifice people like that Tenno for the betterment of everyone."

"We may be evil, or sinners if you choose to believe in any faith, but throughout history, there have been no successes without sacrifice. Rest easy, because her sacrifice will not go in vain."

Jek nodded. "Very well, ma'am. I will collect all the data immediately and get ready to leave. Do you require me to do anything else?"

She brushed back a strand of hair, grinning. "Yes. I need you to add a few…unforeseen variables to the data once you collect them. Leave the new data in the banks. After all, we wouldn't want anyone to take wind of our project and continue on with our work."

"Ah yes, of course. It would mean even lesser testing on other Tenno. Lesser painful procedures. I can do that. Yes, I can do that." J

She nodded, "That will be all. I'm going to have to ask you to leave me for a while. I am expecting a guest soon."

He bowed lightly, eliciting an amused smile from Karli. "Very well ma'am. I will get to work."

Karli was soon greeted by the sweet sound of silence. Silence was good, it allowed her to think, to reflect.

Her plan to coming to fruition at last; she needed to stay diligent. Times were tough ahead, but she was confident in her ability to keep her head above the water.

On a whim, she decided to peruse the security footage being recorded by the scores of cameras that dotted the facility. Offspring to Alad's paranoia, they served as an interesting way to gather information. It never ceased to amuse Karli how the lack of a physical person around them made people change drastically. She watched as a man diligently stood at guard in front of a door, his comrade standing opposite to him. The men were talking amicably, but the heavy distortion through the helmets and the shoddy audio receptors on the camera meant that she could not listen to what they were talking about. Several corridors behind them, another lone guard was busy indulging himself with self-grooming. Karli let loose a bemused laugh as the man lackadaisically picked at his nose, completely oblivious to the security camera and the laughing woman observing him. His helmet was crooked underneath his arm, as he calmly flicked the contents of his nose between the grated floors of the facility. It was amusing to watch, but slightly disgusting as well.

She idly switched through security feeds, feeling a perverse pleasure in seeing people for who they truly were. She finally stopped at the holding cell for their Tenno captive. She watched silently as one of her employees spoke to her, gesticulating wildly to the woman. Dark brown eyes watched the man as he spoke, and it made Karli very curious. _What is she thinking right now?_

The Tenno continued looking at him with the same cautious and fearful expression and Karli continued to look at _her._ The Tenno was a valuable test subject, and she was far more resilient than the other test subjects they had acquired from their strange resting places. She had survived far more tests than expected, and each one led to newer and better discoveries. Karli had been collecting and collating all possible information, unlike her boss. Alad was merely using the Tenno to further his silly little Zanuka idea. The prototype was almost complete, and to Alad, the time for the Tenno's usefulness was coming to a close. Karli was slightly relieved for the captured woman. She was not supposed to feel any remorse for the Tenno, but a part of her couldn't help but feel relieved that the woman's misery was coming to an end.

Her mental integrity is already questionable, she thought, as she saw the employee feed the Tenno with a serum and push the cart out of the door. Even after the door to the room closed, she looked ahead, her brown eyes doing nothing to reveal the thoughts racing through her mind. But Karli was still fascinated by the Tenno; she kept looking at her scarred features, soaking in the details of the catalyst of her plans. This Tenno was the only reason she was determined to fulfil her plan, and Karli deemed it a necessity to observe such an important factor as much as possible. She lost track of time, but it was well into the night before she was shaken out of her stupor by a beep from her terminal. Karli's eyes roved across the message Jek had sent her.

_Ma'am._

_All data secured. Noticed one discrepancy. Captured Tenno lacks a name. Might be unorthodox, but subject is sentient. Name is necessary for simplicity's sake. Would you like to name her?_

_Jek._

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in thought. Very unorthodox indeed. She turned her gaze towards the Tenno on the video screen again. She had fallen asleep; her eyes were closed, and her head was bent downwards in an uncomfortable angle. What Jek was propositioning only humanized the Tenno even more, but Karli didn't mind.

After all, she thought, if the plan works out, she won't be alive for long. What harm can come from indulging in a little bit of fun? She turned to her terminal and typed a reply back to Jek.

_I have thought of a name. It is a word my people use in my native settlement. Rakth. Crimson. The word seems...apt for her. Modify the data as required. _

_K. _

She smiled as the message was sent. She was interested in learning more about the Tenno, but her goals got in the way. Sacrifices needed to be made, but why not have a bit more fun before it?

_At least she has a name now._

**-]|[-**

_A/N: Like I promised, updated every 14 or so days. And oh look, 12 days this time._

_I'd like to get quite a good bit of feedback for this chapter. I experimented with Karli's personality. I also want to thank everyone who's been reading this story, and I hope that everyone's enjoying the ride so far._

_Brohugs,_

_bejuizb_


	5. Chapter 5

Within moments of initializing the transmission, the man was greeted with the visage of his employee. It had bothered him on more than one occasion that he did not know her name, nor the fact that he did not know how she looked. All he knew was the name she was known by, the same symbol that crowned her head and shrouded her features from hidden eyes.

"Is this conversation a secret, Lotus?" he asked, almost out of habit by now.

The woman merely nodded, and maintained her silence. Even though he couldn't see her eyes, he imagined beady little orbs boring into him from behind that mask.

"Very well," he continued, after a pause. "This is just a weekly report. Tests have continued on the captured Tenno, and I must say with regret that her mental and physical faculties are weakening dramatically. One of my colleagues is doing his best to care for her, and his ministrations are definitely slowing down her degradation."

"How much longer does she have?" asked the Lotus, her voice digitally distorted.

He shrugged. "Two weeks, probably less. Alad V's testing phase is over, and he's merely ramping up the tests to collect data for weapons technology. The Zanuka prototype is now fully functioning, and the most recent test on her was with its primary dispel technology. She's sustained significant injuries from the testing. The previously mentioned colleague of mine is working on fixing her up. If you plan to try and mount a rescue operation, you need to do it now."

"You just mentioned that she has two weeks, and yet I am required to mount a rescue immediately?"

_Damn it, woman_. "Now that her use is over, he plans to sell her components to vendors to cash in as much as he can. I received word that the auction for her parts is supposed to happen in four days from now."

"Very well. Can your sources be trusted?"

He let loose an exasperated sigh. "For the last time, yes! I have a strong foothold in high level proceedings. If I remember correctly, wasn't that why you sought me out?" _Time to try and gain a hold over this bitch_, he thought.

"Correct, I sought you out because of your influence in the Corpus hierarchy. But I also know that you are in a position of risk. Your current appearance merely proves my point," said the Lotus, making him realize how wheezy and sharp his breathing was. _Fuck, she's right_, he thought as he felt beads of sweat drip down his pointed nose.

"You can't blame me for being nervous! After all it's me w-"

"I am not blaming you. Is your information trustworthy?"

"Yes," he hissed.

"Then our business is done. I will send a cell to retrieve her by tomorrow. Make sure you are not present on the facility during the mission. I cannot guarantee your safety."

"But you can guarantee my family's, right?"

A pause, then. "I can. Maintain your end of the deal, and I will maintain mine. They are residing on a Tenno station, and are safe and sound. Communication with them is not possible, of course."

He sighed. "Good. I am sorry for being so crass, I-".

"There is no need to apologize. Remember to leave the facility tonight."

The static shrouded image of the Lotus winked out, leaving a rather flustered executive sitting in his chair. He wiped his brow using a handily available handkerchief. Satisfied that his appearance was mildly acceptable, he walked out of his stifling office and decided to patrol the facility. The small rooms didn't do well for his claustrophobia, but the narrow corridors were fractionally better at the most. He nodded to several guardsmen as he walked by. He had taken it upon himself to maintain his aura of respect towards the men who worked for him and the facility in general. Through his years of experience in politics, he knew that respect guaranteed respect. These men would come to his aid when things went south.

_South_, he chuckled. His vocabulary was filled with quirks and idioms commonly found on colonists near Mars or Earth. _The closest to ancient humans_, he thought absently. His mother and father were from there after all. Almost like every other 'employee' in this organization, they were forced to work for the Corpus as a means to pay off debts. He had been raised in this environment, and he had learned the importance of money, and the power it held in society. Goodwill and noble intentions only took you so far in this world. Money, on the other hand, could buy you almost anything.

"Ah, Brill," said a voice behind him, jolting the man out of his reverie. He turned around to see his least favourite colleague.

"Strange to see you here," drawled Alad, crossing his arms and standing haughtily, his eyes daring Brill to lash out and punch him. The animosity between the two men was no secret. Brill had to toil for years to reach his current executive position. Alad on the other hand had merely used his cunning to rise to an echelon higher than Brill's. The sallow faced man lost no opportunity to emphasize his superiority over Brill.

"I was merely going for a walk," he shrugged, making sure to keep his tone neutral. "Felt like I could use the fresh air."

Alad merely chuckled. "Fresh air? Why, my good fellow, you'll need to step outside the facility to get some fresh air, don't you think?"

"Yes, yes. You know what I meant."

He shook his head, ending with a sickening smile. "I don't, sadly. Regardless, this is a good time for us to discuss matters at hand. Join me?" The last statement, even though a question, was posed like an order. _Fucking prick_, seethed Brill, keeping pace with Alad, who walked with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Well Alad, what did you want to discuss?"

"Hm, let's see," he drawled. "Ah yes, the matter of our little…test subject. Did you go over the reports for today's testing?"

Brill nodded. "Yes. I believe she was injured? How major were the wounds?"

"Yes, she was. She served to prove that the Zanuka prototype is more than potent enough. It was able to punch through ablative armour weaving quite successfully, don't you think?"

"I'm assuming that the Tenno the Zanuka prototype will be facing won't be stationary, nor will they be restrained to a platform," Brill said with a grin. Alad despised it when people demeaned his projects, especially the Zanuka.

"Of course not. But I can guarantee the replication of today's results under almost any combat scenario."

Brill shrugged. "Whatever keeps you happy, Alad. All I have to say is this: keep track of how much damage you're doing to your test subject. Testing your prototype against a weakened Tenno isn't the best way to garner the Board's confidence."

"Oh, you need not worry about that," snarled Alad. "The Board is completely on board. Oh dear me, I apologize for the pun." Brill fought the urge to ram his fist into Alad's smug face. _Why did the fucker have to talk like that?_

"Good for you, I suppose."

Alad smiled again, flashing pearly white teeth. _Across the system, people are struggling to feed their families. Meanwhile, this bastard has enough platinum shoved up his ass to keep his teeth as shiny as diamonds_, Brill thought with rage.

"Yes," the man continued, now leading Brill towards his office. "Good for me, indeed." The subordinate grew slightly cautious, but did little to show his newfound caution. Subtlety was an art, and for Brill especially, it was a very tough art to master. But in this situation, he managed to rein in his anger and trepidation.

"Mind telling me what you want, Alad? Because if this is merely an attempt to stoke the shameless fires of your ego, I have business to attend to."

"What business? Oh wait, do you mean the one you conduct with an untraceable contact, every two weeks, precisely forty five minutes from now?" Brill prayed to any existing deities that the sudden shock didn't register on his features.

"What do you mean?" he feigned, still trying to figure out why he decided to go down that route.

"Oh come now. I lead this facility. Unlimited access gives me the ability to observe resource uses in this facility," said Alad, opening the door to his office. Brill hesitated for but a moment before stepping in himself. "And that includes the monitoring of the facility's communication systems. I would be safe to assume that anyone in my position would have been interested in a periodic transmission using a milti-layered encryption."

Brill watch as Alad calmly sat down on his chair, and pressed a lone button on his desk. Suddenly, something at the edge of Brill's vision moved. He barely suppressed a violent oath as he saw the hideous amalgamation of machine and Tenno rise from its resting place and stretch. _Like a dog_, he thought. He was quick to realize the position Alad had put him in. The Zanuka was the ultimate trump card. Who needed a polygraph system when faced with death?

"So," drawled Alad, as the Zanuka loped over to him and sat by his side obediently. "Would you care to explain yourself, Brill? Who are you contacting regularly, and what business do you have with them?"

"I don't think I have to fucking explain myself to you Alad," Brill spat out. If he was going to die, he wouldn't die whimpering like a coward. "Whom I communicate with need not bother you in the least."

The room echoed with Alad's laughter, even though it never reached his eyes. "Oh, I do believe you're wrong there. You see, I control this facility. My facility, my rules. And I demand to know what you're hiding."

"Fuck you!" spat Brill. "You stupid threats won't work on me. I stand by what I say. My dealings are my own, and they are none of your concern!" Even though his voice was filled with indignation, Brill knew that he was clutching at straws now. His fate was sealed, but he needed to keep the farce going for as long as he can. A part of him wondered why a few extra seconds of living would matter to him, but that part was quickly quashed by Alad's next words.

"Very well then. I believe we're at an impasse. And I hate the lack of progress," he grinned savagely, idly petting the Zanuka. The mechanized creature merely trilled and continued peering at Brill. "Now, I do hold a lot of power, but you see, I am an intelligent man."

"Fucking modest, aren't you?" Brill snapped. Alad merely smiled and continued. "Making you disappear would merely cause me more trouble than necessary. You're far too valuable to the Board unfortunately. The only thing I can do at the moment is accuse you of suspected treason."

"And I assume you expect me to piss myself in fear?" snarled Brill.

"No, I don't. But perhaps what I say next might make you want to consider that option. I hold no proof that you are conspiring against this organization, but your refusal to co-operate with me shows otherwise. To end this predicament, I will be taking you under custody, and perform a standard procedure on you. It is painless, I assure you."

"And to answer the question you might have," said Alad pointedly, observing Brill's fearful yet quizzical expression, "I will be implanting an Ascaris into your central nervous system. Standard procedure for our low level recruits. Helps us keep tidy ends, you know." The man was merely grinning broadly on seeing Brill's reaction to this. "So I see that this has the desired effect on you. Good. The Ascaris should give us enough power to wring the answers out of you. Don't worry, Brill, I'll make sure that you maintain most of your free will."

The echoing laugh filled the room again. Sadistic bastard, thought Brill, now sweating profusely. "In fact," Alad continued. "I'll make sure that you regret your decision to not co-operate with my immediately. You can be certain of that."

He nodded to the creature next to him, and within a split second, the Zanuka leapt in front of Brill, frightening the man and making him stumble backwards. Alad merely laughed again. "Zanuka will escort you to the holding facilities. Don't think of trying to run. The consequences will be…painful."

Brill pointedly looked at the two rocket pods mounted on the back of the creature. _Fuck…_

"Attention all posted guards," Alad drawled into a microphone. No doubt broadcasting to the entire facility, Brill thought. "Zanuka will be escorting our very own Councilor Brill to the holding facilities. He has been charged with suspected treason. Extra wardens are to be stationed at the facility, and if any attempts of escape are made," Alad paused, looking at Brill maliciously, "execute him."

Zanuka chirped and stalked forwards, making Brill walk in front of it. "Now if you would be so kind and to show yourself to the holding facilities," smiled Alad. Brill merely glared and walked out of the room, the mechanized monstrosity relaxedly stalking behind him. As the door to the room closed, Alad merely clasped his hands and smiled. Within moments, his terminal rang with an incoming transmission.

"Ah yes, Karli. I was expecting your call," smiled Alad.

"I take it that the meeting with the Councilor went as planned?" she questioned.

"Very much so. Your tip helped me fight off a dangerous opponent Karli. And the best part is the fact that this matter pushes the Board in my favour even more."

"How so?"

"Now, now," drawled Alad. "I believe I know who he was trying to communicate with. If I could extract that information from him, I could use to it to acquire a better position with the Board."

"Convenient, indeed," smiled Karli in return. Alad nodded.

"You know, I will be completely honest here. I always considered you to be an incompetent speck of dirt, Karli," said Alad, flashing a quick smile as he watched the woman's face tighten for a second. "Insignificant enough to blindly listen to orders and do as told. A bit better than the ordinary rabble that work here. But this particular action of yours has changed my opinion, or rather, skewed it."

"You have the ability to think intelligently, and make some daring plays. I can assure you this: keep doing this, and I can ensure that you will also enjoy the tastes that come with power. Who knows, maybe one day you will be a Councilor just like poor old Brill."

Karli was silent for a moment. "I appreciate the gesture, Alad."

The sallow faced man merely nodded. "Excellent work." He thumbed the transmission to a close, and clasped his fingers together in front of his eyes. _One new pawn for me to use_, he thought absently, still smiling. _Oh my, its already dark_, he thought_. I'll deal with Brill tomorrow_, he thought, rising from his chair and making his way towards his room. _Members of the Board, prepare yourselves to accept me into your midst with open arms!_

**-]|[-**

As the sun shone through the gases that called Jupiter home, four small streaks of sky arced across the sky. In the distance was an enormous tower, rising over the swirling depths. Balconies and walkways littered the facility, and guards could be seen patrolling these walkways occasionally. As the streaks entered the lower atmosphere of the planet, they turned out to be four oddly shaped ships, shimmering in and out of vision as they stabilized from entry into the gaseous atmosphere. Inside one of the ships, a patiently waiting figure was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Tenno, it is time."


	6. Chapter 6

The four figures stood crouched, looking down a looming chasm that served as a vent for the facility. Sensors in their helmets estimated it to be nearly a hundred feet in depth. No handholds, and no idea what was at the bottom. One of them looked up at the swirling gases that lapped against the surface of the massive facility. She would go in first. After all, she was the lightest and fastest. The others would scale the outer edges of the facility and find their way in. She would scout the location of their target, retrieve her and then tend to her most immediate injuries till they rejoined and moved together. With a faint nod at the others, she jumped.

The wind howled past her helmet as the rush of forced air tried to slow her fall. She quickly began clawing at a nearby wall, trying to establish even the slightest semblance of grip. Suddenly, her palm found a rough patch. _Perfect. _She quickly pushed her whole body against the rough patch and kicked herself off. She bounced against the other wall and repeated the same action. Her timing was spot on Just as she kicked off the second wall, she reached the end of the vent, which opened up into a massive room with a walkway on each side. Her rapid pushes had given her enough momentum to rocket towards one of the nearby walkways. With a grunt, she managed to grab onto the railing and haul herself onto the platform. Without a moment's hesitation, she drew her pistol and looked around.

_Reset, _she told herself.

"I'm in," she muttered, knowing fully well that the others could hear her. Checking the safety on the handgun, she made her way towards the end of the room, while methodically ducking behind cover and surveying the area in front of her. The room seemed to have two of those massive vents, through one of which she had entered. The other one led out towards another part of the facility. The entire room was filled with a thrumming vibration as the colossal fans rotated and cycled the air through the facility. She had expected something similar to this setup, because the Corpus generally employed the same design principle for most of their larger facilities. The mountain bases near Europa and Uranus had the same system in place as well.

All she heard in response was a chirp from her allies. Knowing the team in question, she was fairly certain that it was Don. The Volt was extremely curt during missions. He only truly was calm when he was back at their dojo. Shaking the thoughts aside, she began to bypass the firewalls that protected the several security cameras dotting the security room. Behind the visor of her helmet, she grinned when she could disable the cameras leading towards her objective. She used a system provided to her in advance by the Lotus to create a constant cycle feedback: the camera recorded and replayed one particular instant of her choice. She was for all intents and purposes, invisible to the security system.

Slightly more confident of her surroundings, she began to briskly jog from container to container, ducking and weaving behind walls and underneath beams to rapidly cross the myriad of rooms that led to the prison block. For the umpteenth time, she checked her pistol. _One in the chamber, five in the magazine, thirty reserve_. She crossed her fingers. _Should be enough. _

She soon emerged into a massive room, far larger than even the vent room. As the Mag made her way to a safe vantage point, she pinged her location and quickly messaged her team.

"Manufacturing sector here. I can see the reactor for the assembly line here."

A pause. "We're a few hundred metres out. The outer perimeter guards are disposed of. Crusher's secured an escape route. Can you make your way to a nearby terminal?" She smiled unconsciously as she heard her brother's voice through the comms. A quick peek over the container she was hiding behind showed several dozen crewmen patrolling the assembly plant floor. A quick headcount showed thirty targets. The nearest terminal was at the other end of the main accessway, which was several feet above her, on a walkway that surveyed the entire floor.

Shit. "No, I can't. Too many people for me to get through without blowing my cover."

"That's alright. Make your way to the prison block and stand by. We have a plan."

Even though there was no one in front of her, the Mag nodded. "Does your plan involve blowing up the shiny reactor in the middle of the room?" she asked in a whimsical tone.

A hoarse chuckle. "Not blow it up, but disable it. I have a vague theory that this reactor powers the Moa terminals throughout the facility as well."

"Gotcha. Moving again."

"Rin," muttered her brother as she skulked behind several moving platforms. "Stay safe kiddo."

"Will do." A crisp chirp from the comms ended that conversation. Rin was halfway across the room by now. The crewmen were lazily patrolling the facility. After all, no alarms were raised. In front of her, Rin saw a conveyer belt shuttling incomplete Moa chassis from one of the manufacturing stations to another. She watched with mild amazement as a series of magnetically controlled devices floated components onto the chassis and within seconds, Rin witnessed the birth of another inactive Moa. She quickly checked her compass to gather her bearings, and was quite glad to know that the prison block was several levels below her. The Lotus silently sent her a possible path to her target.

According to the schematics, she needed to go down a series of ventilation shafts which started from a room on the other side of the assembly room. She nodded to herself and holstered her pistol. She craned her head from behind cover, and took stock of the change in the patrol. The guards were now stationed beneath her, on the main factory floor, while she was on top of a giant fuel cell that seemed to be storing energy generated by the reactor. The analytical part of her mind told her that these cells powered the other large machines throughout the facility. Giant batteries, she thought bemusedly as she quickly sprinted towards a fully assembled Moa being pulled out of the assembly machine. She leapt onto the robot and quickly swung herself around so that she stayed hidden to the unalerted guards. The clamps that held the machine easily held her weight, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

The only sound that filled her ears for the next twenty seconds as the conveyer shuttled her across the room was the clunk of ratcheting gears and her own shallow breathing. As her ride on the conveyor was coming to a close, she began to look for a drop off point. There was a doorway that possibly led to the room that gave access to the ventilation system; the only catch: she had to drop off directly on to the main floor, in plain sight of any guards that might be facing her way. The port through the wall led to avenues she'd rather not face. She quickly charged up an amount of energy into her hands and took a deep breath.

With intuition that came from years of practice, she leapt from her current perch, arcing gracefully down the sixty feet to the floor of the assembly line. Just as he feet made impact with the floor, she forced her body forwards, using the momentum of the fall to roll over and dissipate the impact of the landing. With a rapid lunge, she crouched to one knee and drew her pistol, aiming it towards the other end of the room. She almost squealed with glee as none of the guards were looking in her direction. She turned around quickly and opened the door to the other room and sneaked inside, pistol at the ready.

The room she just entered seem to serve as a server bank for the facility; it was substantially cooler here than it was outside. _Explains the need for a concentrated venting system_, she thought. The room seemed unoccupied, and there was only one entrance: the one she had just entered through. The Mag quickly logged past the server banks towards the end of the room, rolling appropriately to pass through the blind spots of the security cameras as they panned across the room. With the guidance of the Lotus, she soon found herself looking down an air vent. The narrow walls had corrugated sections, allowing her handholds to shimmy her way down the vent itself.

Within fifteen minutes, she found herself at the lower subdeck, the same level as the containment cells for prisoners or test subjects. _The captured Tenno must be here_, she thought as she crouched underneath a protruding wall section. She found an access hatch leading to an upper level on the same floor, and within seconds, had bypassed the security system and was climbing up the ladder like a ghost. When she reached the top, she was faced with a walkway made of meshed metal, supported by alloy bars and posts. Not much cover, but she wasn't too fazed. The upper level wasn't well lit and heavily ventilated. If the need ever occurred, she could quickly pop into one of the adjoining vents and bide her time there.

As she scurried across the upper level, she looked down through the see-through floor and took stock of the opposition she was facing. Three sentries seemed to be patrolling the three entrances of the room, with the third being very close to a non-inconspicuous terminal planted right in the middle of the room. The Corpus were very predictable in this regard: in the event of an alarm or breach, the third sentry would rush to the terminal and initiate a four level lockdown of the holding cells themselves. Guards would rush in and secure the station even more.

Rin was too skilled to initiate an alert, and with some patience and observation, found a well hidden vent that branched towards the holding cells from the catwalk she was on. This vent wasn't secured by an encrypted padlock, and was instead held together by four heavy duty bolts. She smirked. _Child's play._ With a slight hum from her hands, the entire vent slowly eased off the wall, making a barely audible squeak as it came loose.

It was cramped inside the vent, and she barely suppressed a giggle when she imagine Crusher getting stuck trying to crawl through the vent. The giant Frost seemed to slam into objects in a wide open battlefield, and she loathed to imagine the hell it would have been to have him infiltrate the facility without raising an alarm.

Within seconds, she had scrambled to a duct opening that led straight to the middle of the containment cells. She heard the metallic footfalls of a guard patrol the room. Definitely not a Moa, she thought, noticing the particularly irregular footfalls of the unseen guard. She decided to try and gain another vantage point and continued for another few feet along the vent. Her Warframe's sensors indicated the significant drop in temperature as she continued her stay inside the vent. _As my brother would put it, cold as balls. _

She gently pushed open a riveted vent opening and hopped onto an access ramp that ran its length along the perimeter of the room. From the looks of it, it seemed like this ramp allowed the guards to perform maintenance on the life support systems of the individual cells. It also served the ideal purpose of giving Rin enough room and cover to observe the crewman patrolling the room. She checked her pistol and thanked the spirits for the fact that she had opted to install a suppressor on it. She lined up the shot and effortlessly let loose a single blast. All the guard heard before he died was a silent _whump_ as the bullet left the barrel at subsonic speeds. The shot was clean, easily boring through the thin metal helmet that the crewman wore. She gently hopped down from her perch, taking a deep breath as she loosened her muscles. Leaving the lifeless body slumped over the floor as he was, she padded her way to the cells and began examining the terminals lining each one of them.

"Your target should be in the fourth cell on the right of the room," said the voice of the Lotus immediately. Rin nodded to herself and began to bypass the locks of the cell the Lotus mentioned. She stood tall and tried to maintain a harmless posture; her target had been through hell at the hands of the money hungry bastards. Spirits knew what that had done to her psyche. She was left blinking in confusion as the cell was empty. Rhino quickly padded in and searched around the room, expecting its occupant to be hiding underneath the bed. But the room had no furniture. Just a lone slab of metal with arm and leg restraints.

"She's not in here," Rin whispered.

"She must have been moved to another location. I was not informed of this," said the Lotus, her voice unwavering despite the unforeseen circumstance.

"What should I do now?"

A pause. "Unlock the second cell on the right side of the room. My information stated one lone occupant in this holding facility, that being our target. Perhaps she might have been relocated to the other cell. It seems to be the only other occupied one."

"Aye aye, ma'am," Rin whistled and proceeded to unlock the cell. This one did have an occupant. But the occupant wasn't the Tenno, or even a female.

"Who the hell are you?" the man whispered, unconsciously pushing himself away from the Mag as far as he could.

"He is an ally," said the Lotus, merely to Rin's surprise. "Do not harm him."

"Permission to speak?" she asked her faceless guide, watching as the clearly panicked man flailed his arms wildly.

"Granted."

The Mag stepped forward, holstering her pistol and raising her hands in a gesture of peace. "I'm not here to hurt you."

The man let loose a wheezing laugh. "Oh thank god! She sent you, didn't she?"

Rin nodded. _The Lotus' influence runs deep._

"Good! Now I can get off this fucking ship and meet my family. You're here to pick up the other Tenno, right? Yes, yes. She sent you here for that job after all." The man's speech had taken a rapid speed as he quickly scrambled to pick up all his belongings, which were namely an archaic timepiece and a small lapel pin. "You should find her by the medical wards. I heard the guards tell me that the son of a bitch Alad took her in for testing out some weapons his little monstrosity uses. She should be there right now. Did she send you alone?"

She merely shook her head and gestured for him to step out of the cell. Activating her comms, she began to ping her brother. "Don, we've got a slight change of plan."

"What is it?" barked the Volt.

"Our target's not here. She was moved to the medical ward this morning. I came into contact with a valuable asset according to the Lotus. I'm expecting her to order me to escort him outside to the ships."

"That is correct," said the Lotus to the both of them. "He is an important asset to us, and I wish to see him taken to safety."

The Volt cursed. "Fine. Don't expect Rin to escort him by foot. She needs the speed to face off against that monstrosity Alad's cooked up."

"Don," whispered Rin. "Are you sugges-"

"Yes, I am. Permission to do so, Lotus?"

"Granted. We can be assured of Tenno Rin's safety alongside the safety of my contact."

"Rin, you know what to do," grunted Don. "Meet the others and I at the manufacturing level, by the server room."

The call chirped out, leaving Rin standing next to a clearly agitated man.

"Well? What is it? What's the holdup?"

Rin sighed. This could get complicated, and really fast. She quickly swept out her leg, catching the surpised man by the back of the knees. He let loose a mighty oath as his large form crumpled to the ground. Rin merely raised a hand over his scared features and activated the sequence. The node on the palm of her hand began to assimilate the man, writing the very biological code that he was made of into a nano-sized storage system. This ancient capture technique was developed by the Orokin for safely relocating high value targets through combat zones. The Tenno carrying this stored identity could be trusted to transport them safely. The man's shocked scream was drowned out by a thundering explosion that seemed to rumble from somewhere above her. She heard the panicked shouts of the wardens outside the containment room. As the last vestiges of red light absorbed the man into its data stream, she quickly unslung her rifle, clicking off the safety and feeling the comfortable weight push against her shoulder.

"Stealth is out of the question now," she whispered, as the lights throughout the facility flickered out, leaving a lone Tenno inside a dark prison complex, surrounded by panicked guards trying to restore order. "I need to get to Don quickly."

She clicked on her IR module, blinking slightly as the darkness around her vanished to a world of grays. Just as she started to move towards the door, it opened of its own accord and she was suddenly faced with a dozen Corpus troops, rifles held at the ready.

_Oh fuck._


	7. Chapter 7

She winced as the curved needle drove the thread through the open wound that gaped from her hip. Her brown eyes darted upwards to observe Caretaker's own mismatched pair, focusing intently at the task at hand. Just like he'd promised, the previous dose of medication had numbed the pain of today's "testing". She was forced to kneel down in front of a mechanical creature as it fired a myriad of weapons at her. The medication had numbed most of the impacts, but it did next to nothing to help combat the injuries she had sustained. The pain was slowly returning, but Caretaker had promised to keep her well stocked with more doses of the medication.

As the man worked diligently in cleaning up the sutures, she began to retreat back into the familiar void of her own consciousness. This man seemed to be her only ally here. She had stopped questioning his motives, after all, she couldn't be picky about her help. The sheer knowledge of the fact that she was not alone in this hell gave her unimaginable strength. A happy, yet morbid thought crossed her mind as he finally finished tugging on the thread, closing her wound.

_If I'm going to die, at least someone I know will be around to see it._

"Done," exclaimed Keef, as he quickly packed away his tools, examining his handiwork. The stitches would hold, and thanks to the technology used to create them, they would dissolve into her body, accelerating the Tenno's already high regenerative properties. The captured Tenno had co-operated with him easily enough, and he was quite happy to be able to help her. Her injuries were luckily minor: bruising her and there and a few open cuts as the Zanuka prototype's ordnance managed to penetrate her armour. He quickly glanced to his right, seeing her Warframe held up on a stand. The ancient armour, even though defiled by his employers, had been steadily repairing itself, the ablative armour weaves growing over the holes left by the rounds that made it through. It would be fully repaired within minutes by the looks of it.

The Tenno looked at him with a neutral expression, her brown eyes bloodshot and her shaggy hair was plastered over her features. Her almost dead gaze gave him an insight into how she saw him. _She doesn't trust me completely, _he thought. _To be expected._

He turned around and hefted the hyper-advanced suit, giving it to her with a mildly sheepish expression. "You change? I…look…um. Ykit!" He cursed, his mind fumbling for the right words. "I look there!" he almost shouted, pointing in a direction opposite to her. She took the Warframe without a change in her expression and Keef turned around, giving her some privacy to change. She was clad in an extremely tight bodysuit, which left little to imagination. The analytical part of his mind understood why it needed to be tight. _You couldn't do half of the gravity defying stuff Tenno are famous for with flappy clothing._ The bodysuit was torn here and there, and he was forced to make a few deeper cuts into the suit to reach her injuries. He assumed that the bodysuit would close over the perforations and tears as well, just like her Warframe itself.

He walked over to a desk, where lay the other pieces of her armour. Unlike the organic suit that was her Warframe, Corpus interference had made it almost mandatory to add a set of cuffs to her suit, and he winced internally, seeing the protrusions that were meant to penetrate the forearm, and channel her energy through the cuffs. He prayed that the medication would work for another ten to fifteen minutes, or he would be force to put her under to try and reattach the cuffs. His mind began working on possible means to attach the cuffs in a far less painful manner, but the fact that his knowledge on the mechanics of a Warframe were heavily restricted by political red tape left his train of thought slamming into a wall in seconds.

A soft grunt from behind him signaled that she had changed into her Warframe. He turned around to see her glaring at him, or more specifically, at the cuffs that he held in his hands.

"Lie down again. I do with less pain," he waved to the operating table. The frown didn't lessen, but she complied, wincing in pain as her bruised and battered body rested against the cold metal table. She was very tired; her mind was struggling to maintain focus without any new forms of stimulus, and soon, she was lost to a dreamy haze. She could vaguely feel jabs of pain from her arms and neck as Caretaker began securing the cuffs to her Warframe.

_Caretaker…why do I call him that?_ She shrugged mentally. _I know his name, but Caretaker seems…right._ _What if he's the one who's going to kill me? Will I still like him as much? Like? Do I like him?_

_No, that's not possible_, a voice told her. _You can't like anyone. No one can be trusted._

_But…I do like him. He helps me. I feel safe with him. _

_Pathetic. You're relying on a selfish man for your safety. He wants something from you. Isn't it obvious?_

Another aimless mental shrug._ I don't care. I'm going to die soon anyways. I want to feel nice before I go._

She decided to ignore the voice. That voice had been bothering her for the past few days. She knew that she was fighting with her own mind, and it didn't feel odd whatsoever. The voice kept her company, and constantly reminded her about this world.

_This hellhole is nothing but pain and lies. Good and happiness doesn't exist. Get that into your head. You're not shackled right now. Get up! Kill the weakling! Run for it! If you're going to die, go out with a bang!_

Her features tightened. _No. Go away._ Her mouth lifted into a grin. _So be it. Have fun with your little fantasy._

"You problem?" Keef's deep voiced asked concernedly. His question shook her out of her reverie. The tendons in her arms stung_; he must have attached the cuffs._ She raised her head to look down at her body. Metallic implants and components littered the mangled Warframe, each blemish and attachment an indicator of her imprisonment. She wanted to be free, and with an inward smile, she thought, _Caretaker wants me to be free too. _Seeing that he was still looking at her quizzically, she shook her head. She even attempted to raise the sides of her mouth in a smile, but all she could manage was a faint twitch of her lips.

"You get up okay."

She gingerly placed foot after foot onto the metal floor, hearing the clack of the metal studs at the bottom of her armoured feet. She reached for her helmet and paused as he quickly hobbled over to give it to her. She must have looked at him strangely, because he laughed sheepishly.

"You very heavy. Leg sprained."

She felt like she should chuckle, but she didn't. _Why? _She watched silently as he went to a data terminal and began browsing through pages of information, all of it written in a script she didn't understand. He quickly clapped his hands together in excitement. To her, he looked like an excited little child, what with his goofy grin and ridiculous gesticulations. She was afraid of how she was feeling. She shouldn't feel so comfortable. No, he could turn on her immediately. But would he?

"I find your name!" he shouted, pointing to a terminal. She could see a picture of herself, only with far lesser scarring and marring. He was pointing to a series of symbols near the picture.

"Your name is…um..Rah…no no. Rakth. Yes, Rakth!" he cheered and looked at her, hoping that this would try and cheer her up. He couldn't explain why but he felt like keeping this Tenno, this woman alive would mean a lesser punishment for all the sins he'd committed. Unlike the several sects of Corpus, he chose to believe in a diety up in the heavens, in the afterlife. He would do his best to be the better man, even against the circumstances those dear to him were in. She had gone through enough, and if he could get her out of this facility, he would do his best.

She merely nodded at the information, and quickly snarled as a klaxon rang throughout the facility, the lights immediately cutting off in place of blinking blue ones. Frightened, she stood low to the ground, fists clenched, and a furious expression on her face. Keef quickly reached for a security panel at the corner of the room. Hey keyed in a standard access code and picked up a rifle from the locker. Each room in the facility had access to weapon dispensers in the event of an emergency. The klaxon kept ringing, and he could hear the rapid breathing from the Tenno behind him. He quickly turned around to her.

"I have gun. Danger out. Wear helmet, I protect," he said, watching as she wordlessly donned her helmet, her expression lost behind the jagged and disfigured remnant of what was once an undoubtedly beautiful work of art. The concept of protecting a Tenno seemed ridiculous; after all, she outclassed him literally every way imaginable. The bodysuit had shown her physique to be very muscular, very athletic. The treatment from Corpus serums did little to inhibit that. She had unclenched her fists, and Keef shuddered slightly as he saw her clawed gauntlets while slipping on the square helmet of his. Comm chatter was sporadic and explosive, and he didn't know what the emergency was. Whatever the case, he needed to get her to safety.

"Follow me. I protect," he repeated, keying open the door to the medical ward and peering out. A sudden announcement blared out of the speakers dotting the corridors of the entire facility.

"Attention! We have intruders in the facility. Breach detected in the Prison Wing. The Tenno test subject must be terminated on sight. Zanuka will be patrolling the hallways for it as well."

Alad had said those lines in the language the Tenno understood, because he felt her tense up. He turned around and waves his hands in a sign that hopefully suggested peace.

"I no hurt you. I protect. Follow me!" he shouted, quickly barreling towards a set of doors in the medical facility as well. The room in question had access to a server node, and he could quietly bide his time with her while the threat was dealt with. It would also mean keeping her away from the eyes of his comrades. She warily followed him, her clawed hands flexing on and off, her posture ready to pounce. _At me_, he thought with a shudder as he closed to door behind him.


	8. Chapter 8

The Mag threw up a barrier almost entirely on instinct; the drain on her energy reserves increased as she lengthened the field preemptively. The twelve Corpus soldiers immediately opened fire on spotting her, scores of plasma bolts lancing towards her only to be deflected away from her. She gritted her teeth as she focused on the electromagnetic field, using the other arm to haphazardly raise her rifle and return fire. Unlike her pistol, the Soma was not silenced, and soon the high pitched whines of the plasma repeaters was drowned out by the roar of the Tenno assault rifle. Three of the soldiers fell almost instantly, and the others scattered to cover.

Rin quickly dissipated the field and hefted the rifle with both hands. The short burst had thrown her aim completely off, and she felt a mild stinging sensation as the brutal kick of the rifle had dug into her ribs. She crouched down behind the terminal as a small burst of plasma bolts pinged against it, and quickly let loose another burst. A gurgling sound followed by a thump let her know that there were only eight left. Taking a deep breath, she began to formulate a plan. Once out in the main chamber, there were three passageways, and each one was guarded by a Warden. She had very strong shields, but she had no way to judge the strength of her enemies. The normal troops, like the one pinning her down now were easy enough to handle; her rifle was specifically designed to use magnetic ammunition, and the rounds themselves could easily pierce through armoured helmets and synthetic limbs. Maximum damage against Corpus personnel.

She channeled energy into her left arm, the magnetic coils humming from their newfound fuel. She focused on the magnetic signatures she felt at the entrance of the chamber and heard herself think.

_Pull._

Several loud thuds were heard as the barrage of plasma bolts were cut off. She grinned in satisfaction as she felt the signatures yanked towards her helplessly. She immediately began to channel energy to her legs, letting the bionic driven servos get as much energy as possible. She leapt out of cover and barreled towards the entrance, deciding to not waste her time trying to combat each and every single one of them. The remaining troops were slumped against the ground in various states of disarray; thee of them were unmoving, so they were either dead or unconscious from the sudden jerk, and the other five were slowly getting back up on their feet. She prayed to the spirits that her shields would absorb any shots fired at her, and focused single-mindedly on getting back to the reactor room. She swerved around the corner just as the first burst of plasma bolts were fired at her.

She saw one of the Wardens leap down from his pedestal, the tri-barreled Supra aimed right at her. Rin gritted her teeth and decided to exploit the only true weakness of the Corpus machine gun: it's abysmal travel time. She ran right into the oncoming fire of the gun, and ducked at the very last possible instant, sliding against the metallic floor. Grunting mightily, she steered her body's momentum behind a pillar as the Warden adjusted his aim. Without wasting an instant, she quickly turned to the other side of the pillar and spat out a volley of bullets at the general direction of the Warden before ducking back into cover; the Corpus had expected her to continue from the other side of the pillar, and had continued dragging his fire across the pillar. Noticing this, she quickly turned towards her original direction and ran forwards, spraying lead at the hulking Corpus soldier. The tough shields held against a few shots from the Soma, but they stood no match for the sheer rate of fire of the weapon. Rin forced energy back into her shields as they recharged from the hits they had taken from the Supra. The only reason she had survived that encounter was because of the weight of the Supra working against the sheer speed of the Tenno.

She barreled down the elevated walkway, occasionally dodging a whizzing bolt of plasma as the Corpus behind her tried in vain to catch up to her. She managed to avoid any other patrols; either that, or she simply outran them. The Mag lurched to a halt as she reach a dead end. The only way to go up would be via an elevator.

_Nope. Not going through that._

Almost on cue, the voice of the Lotus chimed in through her comms.

"Tenno, it is safe to use the elevator. Your allies are at the other end. Hurry, enemy forces are on their way."

She nodded to herself and stepped in. She was forced to bypass a minor firewall to access the elevator controls, but the cipher module she brought along did the deed for her. She could hear the myriad thuds of approaching enemies just as the doors closed. As the elevator lurched up, she quickly checked her systems, and her weapons. Minor scuffs were all the damage she had sustained, and her rifle still had a sizeable amount of rounds in its magazine. Despite the Lotus' reassurance about her allies being there, she held her rifle defensively, and positioned herself above the floor of the elevator by perching along a corner railing. The small vantage point would hopefully catch any hostiles by surprise. For an added measure, she maintained a heavy flow of energy in the coils wrapped around her arms.

The narrow platform jerked to a halt as the elevator reached the next floor. Her fingers tensed around the trigger of the Soma as the doors opened. She almost fired off a shot in surprise when she was met with the still corpse of a Crewman. The body was encased in ice and steaming ever so slightly. The room was quiet, and there were a few hunks of ice scattered around the floor. She hopped down from her perch and walked cautiously forward, training her rifle around the corner of the hallway. She was met with a familiar sight: a lumbering giant of a Frost, shrouded in an aura of mist and snow. The warrior had encased the entrance of the hallway with a swirling vortex of snow, creating a protective barrier for the occupants inside. Namely her.

He merely nodded to her as he turned around, raising his shotgun. The ornate gold filigree that adorned the Boar went well with the almost alien bands of gold on the Frost himself.

"Didn't take you too long," he said, dissipating the barrier as he trudged forwards, Rin following his confident gait.

"I didn't fight them off," she said. "Whatever the hell that explosion was, I was a bit too worried."

The Frost chuckled as the duo passed by several dozen frozen and maimed bodies. "The explosion was us disabling the facility's assembly line and power sources. They're running on reserve power, which means no more bloody Moa reinforcements."

"Hey Crusher," Rin said as she stepped into a flooded hallway. "This facility's floating on air, you know that right?"

He simply nodded. "All the motivation I need to find our sister and get out of here. Come on, this way." The duo jogged through a series of corridors, which seemed to have been cleared by the Frost beforehand.

"If the area is secure," Rin asked, "why did you have a Snowglobe up around the door to the elevator room?"

"Don reported some weird quadruped proxy running around the facility, looking for something or someone. He saw it through security feeds, and from the looks of it, it seems to be one mobile son of a bitch. I was just taking precautions."

She nodded as they rounded a corner. A sign above the door read: Medical Ward, in the rigid, almost mechanical font that the Corpus used. In the several months of being awakened, she had used her time to learn to read the languages used by the system's two major factions. A basic grasp of the fundamental dialect allowed her to understand signs and markers easily.

"This seems to be the place. Where is Don?"

"Looking for our mark."

"But isn't our sister the mark?"

"Just yours", Crusher rumbled. "Don was tasked with taking out the head researcher of this facility. That son of a bitch is responsible to the torture of our sister, and countless others."

As the door to the facility opened, the Frost slowed down, and proceeded to walk forwards, holding the massive shotgun in front of him. Rin followed likewise.

They passed through a network of hallways, weapons held at the ready. Each narrow corridor looked identical to the next, with a dozen doors leading into several rooms.

_Or holding cells_, Rin thought grimly. The Corpus were infamous for their ruthless pursuits in acquiring knowledge and profits, even more so than the rebellious splinter faction called the Perrin Sequence. The Mag scowled momentarily as she remembered their clan's dealings with the money minded syndicate. The fools had demanded for a monthly tithe for their services, and had the gall to call the blatant exploitation a means to secure profits _for services rendered. _

"The Sequence is as bad as the Corpus," she said quietly, more to herself than anyone else. The Frost's sharp hearing caught her statement nonetheless, and he grunted in agreement. "No point in ruining your mood any further child. Let's get our sister, and go back home."

She grinned inside her helmet. "Why? You miss your pond?" Her grin merely broadened when the Frost nodded, equally amused.

"Oh yeah. That pond is the essence of my being!" he said in a dramatic voice, making a mystical gesture with one arm." The Mag chuckled quietly. Crusher was known to be a master with words, with very few coming close to match his wit. He was constantly chided by his clan for being too attached to the thinking pool their dojo had, and by now he had grown used to it.

"Careful," he said, stopping a few feet in front of a branch in the hallway. He pressed himself against the wall, the Mag following suit. Without uttering a single word, the duo channeled energy into their limbs and simultaneously leapt forwards, catching the two walking soldier by surprise.

Before they could utter a single word, a combined wave of ice and magnetic energy drained their shields and froze the very cells in their bodies. The corpses crumbled under their own weight, breaking into fine chunks of ice. Crusher merely nodded and trudged onwards, Rin in tow.

"Tenno," chimed the voice of the Lotus. "Scans indicate a node in the system being accessed from two separate locations simultaneously, one of which was provided by your squad. I believe the second source might lead you to your target."

Rin nodded. "Doesn't hurt to check it out. Where is the second access point?"

"Room 42M. Medical Ward."

A quick look at the plaques over the doors gave Rin a general idea of where to go. "We'll head there now."

"Advice caution Tenno. We do not know the condition of our target, nor do we know if she is alone."

"Understood."

Crusher suddenly threw up a wall of ice, which began to splinter as a barrage of plasma bolts thudded against it. "We've got company!" he bellowed, hefting his shotgun and firing it wildly down the narrow corridor. Rin crouched behind the wall, quickly observing the battlefield ahead of her. They needed to head down the same way if they intended to reach room 42M. The Frost bellowed and charged forwards, the resounding blasts from the Boar echoing menacingly down the corridor. Rin followed right behind him, both Tenno relying on their extremely strong kinetic barriers to deflect any stray shots. The seven crewmen firing at them panicked at the suddenly charging Tenno and their aim faltered for just a moment.

A moment was all they needed.

Two of them fell to the Frost's shotgun; bodies thrown backwards by the force of the blast, while another fell to the Soma; his head replaced by a bloody mist as the heavy caliber rounds blazed right through his helmet. The remaining troops balked and turned tail as the two reached the end of the corridor, continuing to fire at them. Two of them made it out alive, disappearing into an adjacent corridor. Crusher swore mightily as he quickly checked the still bodies for any survivors. One of the soldiers still had a pulse. Without a moment's hesitation, the Frost aimed his shotgun for centre mass and fired. Rin checked their surroundings quickly, looking for any other ambushes. They were in the clear for now. 

"Backup should be here soon," said Crusher. "I'll stay here and hold them off. You go on ahead and get our sister." He pointed his shotgun to three other corridors. "The Lotus' schematics show that this is quite the large chokepoint. I'll camp here and greet the boxheads. You should find the room three hallways down, to the right. My radar's not detecting any hostiles within a fifty metre radius, apart from the two who managed to get away."

She trotted forwards, rifle held in a more relaxed position thanks to Crusher's intel. She turned her hear around when the Frost spoke up again."

"Oh, and Rin. This facility's reserves should run out in forty five minutes. Hurry up."

**-]|[-**


	9. An Apology

I suppose it's about time I provided an apology.

I started writing this story during the darkest time of my life. Without going into too much detail, I turned to writing to deny myself time to think about giving up. This story was an outlet at the time for the dark, dark thoughts that cavorted about morbidly within the confines of my mind.

It's going to be nearly two years since that time. Things have changed, and yet, they haven't. I don't possess the will to continue writing something that reminds me of my past in such excruciating detail. Writing is a hobby of mine, but I'm also disinclined to abandon a writing project, especially one that was as quietly successful as Crimson.

My story sits at nearly 4000 reads at the time of writing this. That's 3999 more than what I was expecting. I'd like to let loose a long speech about how grateful I am, but I don't find myself in that position. I am tremendously grateful, but I lack the skill or the knowledge to respond appropriately. Nonetheless, take my word for it. Each and every single person who read this incomplete story, thank you for taking the time to share a part of my life. It means a lot to me, it truly, truly does.

I can't continue writing Crimson, and it pains me to say that. I'm really sorry everyone, but if I do plan to get back to writing, and I do want to get back to it, I want to start a new chapter in both my life, and my writing life. I hope those who are still around will forgive me for not completing this story, and give little old me a second chance.

Keep dreaming,

bejuizb


End file.
